British triumph as Hingis helps Andy’s brother to fourth title

FORMER tennis prodigy Martina Hingis became a Wimbledon champion again last night – 21 years after she became the tournament’s youngest ever champion at 15.

The Swiss star took the mixed doubles title with Jamie Murray on Centre Court.

She and Andy Murray’s older brother defeated the defending champions, Heather Watson, 25, and Finland’s Henri Kontinen, 27, in straight sets.

The win marks Jamie Murray’s fourth doubles grand slam victory, compared with three singles titles for Andy.

It was the first time two Britons had clashed in a Wimbledon final since 1961.

Jamie, 31, said: ‘The crowd was a bit split but it was a great success for British tennis to have two guys in the final.’ Murray and Miss Hingis only formed their partnership in the days before Wimbledon, but they won the tournament without dropping a set.

Murray said last night that if any other player had asked him he would ‘probably’ have said no, adding: ‘It was a great opportunity. She has won everything.’

The mixed doubles winners will split just £100,000 – significantly less than the £2.2million handed to singles champions.

Miss Hingis, 36, who began playing tennis aged two, became the youngest woman ever to win Wimbledon in 1996, after she took the ladies’ doubles with Helena Sukova. In 1997, she became the world number one female tennis player, and would hold the rank for a total of 209 weeks.

However, she is a controversial figure, and was banned for two years after she tested positive for cocaine in 2007. She called the allegations ‘horrendous’ and insisted she had never taken drugs.

She retired amid the scandal, but in 2013 returned to play doubles, winning Wimbledon with Sania Mirza in 2015.